“Umm, Rebekah?” I asked. “Why are you being so nice to me? You were always so mean back in school. It's not like we were friends or anything.”
We'd been the exact opposite, in fact. Bennett McCormick had taken her to homecoming, and when they found me walking home alone – after my date had ditched me – Bennett kindly offered to give me a ride.
Rebekah was clearly furious that I'd intruded on their date and had glared and made spiteful comments to me the entire ride home. It was about the most uncomfortable I'd ever been in my life and she just kept piling on, making me feel like absolute garbage. From that day forward, she would only glare at me when we walked in the halls and whisper about me behind my back. She acted as if I had been the reason the two of them split up.
Staring at her belly, I couldn't help but wonder if that child was Bennett's. They were the perfectly beautiful high school couple everyone assumed would get married someday. It had been shocking when they split up. But, looking at her belly again, I wondered if maybe they'd gotten together again at some point.
“A lot has changed, Hailey,” Rebekah said, stroking the cross at her neck. “I've found God. Back then, I thought I knew Him, but now – well, now I really do. And I can't even begin to tell you how ashamed I am for how I behaved back then. I know I'll never be able to take it back, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Her eyes glistened as she spoke and she rubbed her swollen midsection like it was an unconscious reaction.
“I'm happy for you,” I said, motioning to her stomach.
And I meant it. As much as I hated her in high school, if she was willing to turn her life around and be a better person, good for her. Maybe, it was a lesson I could stand to learn from as well. Again, my eyes fell on her belly.
“So, you're married then?” I asked.
“Oh no,” she laughed nervously.
Suddenly, there was an awkward tension in the air and it was as if our positions had switched. She was no longer eager to keep talking to me, her eyes flitting around wildly like she was looking for an escape route. She quite obviously didn't want to talk about her pregnancy.
“Listen, it's been great seeing you again, Hailey, but I really should get going.”
She hurried away just as I made my way to the front of the line. Of all people to greet me, Bennett McCormick smiled down at me from the food truck window. His chocolate brown eyes crinkled at the corners as his smile was brighter than the moon.
“Hailey Roberts, huh?” he said. “Decided to come back to Black Oak after all.”
My heart skipped a beat. I couldn't believe he not only recognized me, but remembered my name after all this time.
Bennett's face was masculine, chiseled, and beautiful beyond perfection. High cheekbones and a strong jaw dominated his face, but his eyes – a rich brown that reminded you of milk chocolate drizzled with caramel – softened his otherwise rugged face. His hair was short on the sides, long on top, and he'd obviously used plenty of product to give it an actual style.
As always, he looked impeccable, stylish, and entirely handsome.
“I guess I couldn't stay away,” I said, chuckling, my heart threatening to burst right out of my chest.
I half expected the usual line of questioning, but instead, Bennett asked something much easier for me to answer.
“What can I get ya?” he asked, a twinkle in his eyes.
I ordered a BBQ chicken sandwich – always a favorite of mine when the old owner ran the joint – and a side of coleslaw, because according to Bennett, it was the best ever made.
“Our secret is that it has bacon and bleu cheese in it,” he said. “Nothing in the world like it.”
“You had me at bacon,” I said and laughed.
Reaching for my wallet, Bennett waved me off. “It's on the house. Consider it a welcome home gift. It's really good to see you again, Hailey.”
His eyes looked right through me, and I stared for a moment, speechless. His lips were full and thick, and when he smiled, there was a dimple in his left cheek. It was an infectious smile, one that made me grin like a fool right back at him – at least, until I realized how awkward and dopey I must have looked.
And then, over the buzz of conversations in the crowd, I heard someone call out, “BBQ chicken sandwich for Hailey? Order's up.”
“Uhh wow, you guys work quickly,” I said.
I turned toward and found myself face-to-face with Quinn McCormick. My breath caught in my throat as I stared into his soulful eyes, big and golden brown with specks of green mixed in. His face, like Bennett's, was chiseled to perfection with the classically high cheekbones and strong jaw that marked McCormick men. But his hair fell gently around his face, softening the look. And he too, smiled with a dimple in his cheek, as he handed me my plate.
“Well, look who it is,” he whistled. “Cason, you won't believe who's back in town. The prodigal daughter returns.”
My cheeks flushed with color. I never knew I was apparently that popular – that not only Bennett, but Quinn and Cason remembered me too. I never would have thought that possible back in the day.